Homeschool Organization

Recently, I needed to make some changes in my homeschool organization and while they aren't major  things...they were small things that have made my life much easier in homeschooling 3 children.  I'm sure many of you have much better ideas, neater organization in your own homeschool and some of you may even laugh when you read this but it works for us and (for now) we're sticking with it!

At Christmas, we got each of our kids a personalized pencil pouch from ThirtyOne Gifts.  My sister is a consultant and she would love to hook you up with awesome personalized products and great gifts too!  The kids loved having their own pencil bags.  Then a few weeks ago, I decided these needed more than pencils and erasers....

So I bought them each their own pair of scissors, got them gluesticks (instead of us sharing a bottle of glue), a pack of their own Twistable Crayons by Crayola (because they can twist them back up and not get crayon marks on the inside of their pouch), pencils, erasers and their own pencil sharpener.  We do not use ink pens in homeschooling...that is a big "no-no" in our house!  Best of all, these pouches have a key chain ring on them so if we travel they can take their pouches and attach them to their backpacks!  Homeschool supplies on the road and each child has their own so we don't have any fights over sharing.  :) 

I also got tired of having to sit at the kitchen table every night and check their work and grade papers book by book.  So I went to the Dollar Tree and bought colored 3-ring binders for each of them.  I came home and made pictures on Word that coordinated with the colors of their binders too.  

Abbey's favorite color is green, Sidney would have preferred pink or purple but they didn't have either one of those colors so she settled for red and Wyatt is all things blue - and penguins....he made sure he informed me that he wanted penguins on his folder!  

I also bought tab dividers and made dividers for each day of the week, one that says "Practice" and one for Bible.  We just started an awesome new Bible material from Grapevine Studies and in May, I will get to tell you more about this & share something very special for you too!  For each day of the week, I put every worksheet, writing assignment, etc. in that day's slot.  This means, I have to tear it out of their workbooks and put it in the folder.  Thankfully, all their books have perforated pages already making this very easy. "Practice" is things they need to be working on for tests, memorization, etc.  This includes things such as scripture memory, multiplication, sight words, states/captials, etc.  Bible is everything they need for their Bible curriculum.  Of course, they still have to use DVD's, read from textbooks, etc. to complete some of this work but all their assignments are in one folder. That way, they know everything they have to complete for each day and then everything I need to check/grade that night is in one folder, in one place.  That means, I can sit on the couch, etc. and grade their work in comfort with 3 folders and not be confined to the kitchen table with stacks of books.  It makes it easier for them and easier for me and in our house...that is a win-win situation!  

I'd love to hear your ideas so leave me a comment

and share your homeschool organization tips......

Wordless Wednesday: New Puppy

Last Tuesday, our miniature daschaund, Slinky had her very first litter of puppies.  She had two puppies but only one of them lived.  She had mated with a miniature Chihuahua so her puppies are called "Chiweenies".  Here is the kids with the new puppy at one day old.

The kids couldn't decide on a name and David and I didn't care what they named him so my Dad suggested the name "Cotton" since it is a boy and solid white and the kids loved that name.  I thought it was pretty appropriate too since we live in Alabama....the Cotton State!  Here is Cotton at one week old. 

Isn't he precious?  We are all enjoying having a new puppy to love on, play with and watch him grow.  

A Perfect Pet for Peyton Review and GIVEAWAY

You probably know that every child is different and unique.  As parents, none of our children are exactly alike and they each have their own unique gifts.  We need to study our children so we can help our kids learn  how God can use them. We should discover their spiritual gifts as well as their strengths and weaknesses so we can celebrate their place in God's kingdom.  Gary Chapman (author of the Love Languages series) has written two amazing books to help us do just that.  A Perfect Pet for Peyton is a children's book written to help kids learn how we all give and receive love differently. The Five Love Languages of Children is a  book written specifically for parents to help us understand which love language our children speak and how to use that in everyday life.  Check back next week for more information on "The Five Love Languages of Children" and a chance to win your own copy. 

Welcome to Mr. Chapman's Pet Pal Emporium!  Join twins Peyton and Penny as they celebrate an amazing birthday adventure with the help of Mr. Chapman and some very special friends.  #1 New York Times bestselling author, Gary Chapman and Rick Osborne, award-winning author of books for kids and teens, have teamed up on a book both kids and parents will enjoy.  Kids will love the fun story and the full-color illustrations by Wilson Williams Jr. (complete with hidden details).  Parents will appreciate the chance to help their kids learn how we all give and receive love differently. 

Our kids loved this story and especially liked the bright, colorful illustrations that are found on each page.  The story not only teaches the kids about the 5 different love languages but also shows them what speaking their love language means.  Each child at the party gets a specific pet that is speaks their exact love language.  There are also fun mini-activities scattered throughout the story in the form of "seek and find" activities.  On several pages, your child is challenged to find specific animals hidden in the illustrations.  This book is one that our son (who loves animals) has actually asked to read several times already.  Overall, we really enjoyed this book and it was a fun way to teach our children about how different love can be shown and felt.  

Just What are Love Languages?

While there are many ways to show love to a person, there is usually one way that shouts love to that person.  I feel absolutely loved and adored when someone helps me do things around .  The 5 love languages can be expressed in many ways but the overarching categories are:

• Words of Affirmation – Kind words and praise.
• Quality Time – Time spent doing something together.
• Gifts – It doesn’t matter the size, just that it was a tangible expression of the person’s love for you.
• Physical Touch – From a hug to wrestling to snuggling on the couch. 
• Acts of Service – Help the person, do something for them like a chore or errand.

At the back of the book, there is a "5 Love Languages Quiz" to help you identify your child's unique love language.  It came as no surprise to me that all 3 of our kids have different love languages.  After taking the quiz, we could see how their love language was a match based upon how they respond most effectively.  If you want to read more about the various love languages you can do that here.  Thanks to Propeller, I have the opportunity to give you your very own copy of the book "A Perfect Pet for Peyton".  Simply enter on the form below.

Celebrate the Journey ~ Apologia Live Retreat

Ladies, if you don't go anywhere else next year, I challenge you to save your money up and attend the Apologia Live Retreat.  I was blessed to be able to attend the Apologia Live Retreat in Atlanta, GA this weekend and it was amazing, incredible, refreshing, encouraging, inspiring, convicting, renewing and so much more!  This was my husband's birthday present to me (my birthday was Saturday) and he blessed me by allowing me to attend this retreat with my cousin's wife and I even made new friends as well.  I want to tell you why this retreat is something you don't want to miss.  First, we got to hear some incredible speakers over the course of the weekend.

At the end of the retreat, Rachael brought me a piece of birthday cake and

sang happy birthday to me herself.  It was SO sweet!!

Rachael Carman spoke on "Celebrating the Journey - Loving, Laughing & Learning".  She said so many inspirational things but some of my favorites were:  "Start early in the morning choosing to set the tone of the day."  "We should unleash our laughter and laugh with our kids everyday."  "We've allowed Science to steal the wow of what God has done."  "Homeschooling isn't the answer - JESUS is the answer!"  She is the real deal y'all.  She is authentic, genuine and ready to share the reality of homeschooling and life with you.  

Pam Tebow (yes, Tim Tebow's Mom!) also spoke Friday night about "Celebrate Your Influence".  She inspired me to teach more Scripture to our children through memorization. I wish you could have heard her singing the scriptures the way she taught her children years ago.  She also gave me hope that the things we are teaching them now actually will stick and be remembered later in life through her sharing personal testimonies.  She also shared stories of life on the mission field for her as a Mother and a homeschooler (which I loved since we are moving to be missionaries soon).  One of my favorite things she said was "Prayer should be our 1st line of defense - we fight for our kids through prayer!"

The Apologia Live Speakers

Debra Bell spoke on "Celebrating the Journey in Awe and Wonder".  She reminded us how a love for learning glorifies God.  She said if she were to build a school from the ground up, she would build - a home!  She reminded us that Satan wants us to doubt God's faithfulness.  God wants me to not just survive homeschooling - but to thrive!  God has given us His creation to be our classroom.  Homeschooling sets our kids free so they can pursue Him however they choose.  We should teach our kids that God has made them not for the world - but for the future!  She was very inspiring as well.  They gave away door prizes and I won Debra Bell's Ultimate Homeschool Planner and I wanted to just squeal with delight!  I have wanted one of these for awhile but not been able to buy one so I was thrilled to win it this weekend.  

Elizabeth Smith spoke on "Celebrating the Journey - Parenting Heart to Heart".  She is a prayer warrior y'all and you can feel the Spirit when she speaks and prays.  I had so many notes on this parenting session and it really spoke to my heart on so many levels.  She taught us 5 tips to forgiveness, talked about "breakthrough" prayer found in Daniel 10 and shared parenting skills, encouragement, parenting tips and reminded us to be whole-hearted parents.  

Jeannie Fulbright spoke on "Celebrating the Journey in Your Marriage".  She is also the author of the Apologia Elementary Science curriculum (that we use and love).  She gave her personal marriage testimony (that had me laughing and relating to her story at the same time), filled us with wonderful marriage advice and reminded us to persevere through the hard times.  One of the things she said that kept resounding in my head over the weekend was "Anything we need besides Christ to be happy - is an idol".  We got to talk with her after the retreat was over for awhile and she was so sweet and encouraging to us as homeschooling Moms. 

Zan Tyler spoke on "Celebrating the Journey With Your Children".  This lady is a true "homeschool pioneer" and fought for the rights of homeschoolers for many years. (Thank you Zan!) She walked us through the "Regression of Education in America", reminded us to discover our child's unique gifts and weaknesses and celebrate their place in God's kingdom.  She said several things that were very thought-provoking.  "Instead of our nation being divided by families like it was in the Colonial Era, our nation is currently divided by school districts." And my personal favorite, "Homeschooling is like building an ark in your backyard and hoping no one will notice!"  

Intermingled throughout the speaking sessions, we had praise & worship led by Anne MacCallum.  She is a very gifted singer/songwriter who has chosen to share her talents for the Lord.  I loved how her song selections included songs with music and without, classic gospel songs and hymns as well as contemporary Christian songs and how beautifully she interwove them together.  I have to tell you ladies, there is nothing as sweet as hearing a banquet room full of homeschooling Moms lifting their voices to the Lord and worshiping the Lord who blesses us by allowing us to homeschool our children each day.  

While the speakers were amazing, their messages convicting, inspiring, refreshing, renewing, motivating, encouraging and more....one of my absolute favorite parts of the weekend were our prayer sessions.  Let's be honest, as busy Moms we probably don't spend as much time as we should in prayer and when we do it is often not in the most intimate, quiet moments.  Two different times during the weekend, we spent 30 minutes in prayer.  They gave us a "prompt" to think about and consider before we entered into that sweet moment of prayer and then we all spread out all over the room and in the stillness and the quiet...we prayed.  We poured our hearts out to the Lord, uninhibited, unashamed, with no distractions or interruptions, no background "noise"..just us and the Lord communing together through prayer and personally, I needed that!  The Apologia Live speakers & staff walked around the room while we were praying and even prayed over us and for us.  To know they were covering us in prayer as well was a beautiful thing.  As Pam Tebow reminded us, God is faithful when you pray!

The Apologia Live Retreat is changing their name to "Real Refreshment" for the future retreats and that is exactly what you will get from this weekend....REAL Refreshment.  It's kind of like going on a ladies retreat at church except everyone in attendance is homeschool Moms....women who relate to you, have been in your shoes, are teaching kids the same age or may have already graduated some kids, they know the ups and downs, highs and lows and you have everything in common with each other. You come away from this weekend ready to homeschool with purpose, meaning and direction again...your inspired to try new things, pour more of God into your everyday lives (not just during homeschool) and train your children to be mighty warriors for Jesus Christ.  I was also able to meet up with several of my blog friends, I met Shannon (who won my Apologia Live ticket giveaway a few months ago), I met Liz & Michelle from Apologia who I talk to on Twitter and Facebook but never been able to see in person, spent time with my cousin Beverly and made new friends throughout the weekend (check out my new friend Hong's blog too)!  

 

THANK YOU to all the Apologia staff and speakers who gave up their weekend and took time away from their families to come bless and inspire us!  This weekend was such a blessing to me and I grew on so many levels because of your commitment to us as homeschooling Moms.  We love Apologia products and will continue using them in our homeschooling for many years to come.  

Guess Who's Having A Birthday???

 

Today is my 35th birthday!!  We are spending the weekend in Atlanta because my cousin's wife and I are attending the Apologia Live Retreat in Atlanta this weekend.  Not to mention, that when classes are not in session we are having a blast staying with my cousin's family and getting to see my aunt and uncle too.  I couldn't think of a better way to spend my birthday than with family we love and don't get to see as often as we would like.  In honor of today, I wanted to share my life story (testimony) with you.  I shared a portion of this back in 2009 but I want you to see that birthdays are much more to me because according to doctors back in 1977, I shouldn't be able to be here today.  Read my story to learn more......

 

 (Here is the shortest version of this I can share) When I was born, I was given up for adoption at birth due to numerous congenital birth defects. I had a team of doctors that directed my care due to my numerous problems at birth. I was immediately placed for adoption with AGAPE of North Alabama which is a Christian foster care/adoption agency. When my adopting parents met with my team of doctors they were told I would never walk, I would never talk without major speech therapy and I would require constant 24/7 care. They were advised they did not want to adopt me & that they should wait on a "healthy baby" considering how long they had been waiting to adopt. (On a side note, when I say parents from here on out, I am referring to the wonderful husband & wife who adopted me & became my parents. They are the best parents a girl could ever have and the people God knew I needed for Mom & Dad). Despite these overwhelming odds, my parents chose to adopt me. Had they NOT chosen to adopt me, I was going to be placed in a state institution for crippled children. I had a cleft palate, bilateral club feet, underdeveloped lungs, ears that were a huge mess & eardrums that were not functioning. 

 

At age 5, I had to undergo an emergency tracheotomy due to acute epiglotittis. I started Kindergarten on crutches and had to be pulled to recess in a little red wagon because of a cast that went from my thigh to the tips of my toes. I have had more surgeries than I can count and there have been so many times in my life when doctors would tell my parents they didn't know if I'd live after the surgery. Through it all, God took care of me & my parents and despite a few scars, you would never know what all I have been through. I've had several surgeries on my feet to repair the club feet. I had to wear corrective shoes with a metal brace in between them. I learned to crawl & walk wearing those corrective shoes & brace. I even had a complete TURCO release of my left foot at age 5. I can walk normally and I can even run now. Ok, so I'm not great at running...but at least I can run! I had my cleft palate repaired at age 2 and again in December 2008 (to read about that, click on Older Posts). I've never had one day of speech therapy in my life and everyone who knows me will attest to the fact that I can talk just fine. In fact, my nickname is "Little Miss Chatterbox". 

 

I've had numerous ear surgeries and various types of tubes placed in my ears. In fact, my left ear has been completely cut off, the eardrum & canal reconstructed and the ear sewed back on. I do have some hearing loss, but I can still hear and do not require hearing aids at this point. I've played piano since I was 5 years old, was in the marching band, concert band, jazz band & indoor drum line in high school. I sang soprano in a quartet that traveled & sang through Alabama. I have been privileged to be able to go to Russia, Siberia and most recently Peru on mission trips and today, I am a wife & a mother who has been thoroughly blessed beyond belief by God. 

 

I am married to the most amazing man, David who is the one God created specifically for me.  He has blessed us with 3 incredible children (one of them had a congenital heart defect at birth and we were told she wouldnt' live to be one year old but God miraculously healed it too!).  In 2010, I had to have my cleft palate completely repaired from the roof of my mouth all the way up to my nasal pasages again and spent 3 weeks unable to talk at all due to the recovery from this surgery.  


I am also a spokesperson for AGAPE of North Alabama and an advocate for adoption and pro-life. I speak at churches sharing my testimony, speak at womens events/retreats and our family is moving in August to become full-time missionaries with To Every Tribe to learn how to take the gospel message to unreached people groups. God literally took an "unadoptable" child and gave me hope, a life and a future. According to doctors, I shouldn't be here today to celebrate my 35th birthday and if I was going to be here, I should be incapable of taking care of myself, unable to walk, unable to talk correctly and relying on help 24/7. A birthday to me is not about the presents or the type cake or having a huge party with family and friends or any of the typical things we associate with birthdays. To me, every birthday I celebrate is a HUGE reminder of the goodness of God & how even today, God is STILL in the miracle business.  

Scholastic Reader Level 1: BOB Books Review and GIVEAWAY

Our 6 year old has been learning to read and is doing quite well with it now that he has decided that he wants to learn to read.  He really enjoys reading beginning reader books and he loves to read them to his grandparents, sisters and everyone that comes to our house!  We have a set of BOB Books as well as an Ipad app (BOB Books Reading Set #2) so he is very familiar with the format of BOB Books and we have seen them be very beneficial to our son as he is learning to read.

The new Scholastic Reader Level 1:  Bob Books is an updated and more advanced version of the classic BOB Books.  This set is a 6 volume set and we were recently given the opportunity to try out the first 2 volumes in this series (the 4 other books are due to release later in 2012).  The New Puppy and Cupcake Surprise are both Level 1 Readers (1st Grade level; 50-250 words) and each book contains 32 pages for the child to read.  Based on the best research about how children learn to read, Scholastic Readers are developed under the supervision of reading experts and are educator approved.

Our son really enjoyed learning to read these books. I can't say that he knew all the words presented in these books but he knew how to sound them out and learn them.  He thought the story of Cupcake Surprise was pretty funny and he laughed several times at the funny things that happen to Jack and Anna as they try to bake cupcakes.  The New Puppy was a little easier for him to read and he knew a lot more of these words so it quickly became a favorite book to read to friends and family.  As a parent, I liked them both because The New Puppy built his confidence in his reading skills and Cupcake Surprise challenged him to master words he was not familiar with.

Each book contains full-color pages with simplistic illustrations that a child can relate to.  These illustrations are ones similar to previous BOB Books but with an updated twist.  I love that the last two pages of each book contain flashcards.  One side of the flashcard has a sight word and the back has a sentence that uses that sight word along with a small illustration.  These BOB Books will make a wonderful resource for any child who is just learning to read or an emerging reader. They would make a great addition to a teacher's classroom library as well. They are extremely cost affordable as well and retail for just $3.99 each. Best of all, I have been given the opportunity for you to WIN your very own copy of these 2 great BOB Books!  

Today is Your Best Day {Twitter Party}

WHY IS TODAY YOUR BEST DAY?

When this little book arrived in the mail, I immediately thought of what we always tell our kids at night when we are tucking them in.  If God chooses to bless you with breath to live another day, make it your best!  This may be a small book but as they say "Big things come in small packages".  Roy Lessin, the author of Today is Your Best Day, is the co-founder of DaySpring, the largest Christian greeting card company in the world and he and his wife are former missionaries (which is near and dear to my heart). Written within the 192 pages of this book are about 60 daily devotionals that will inspire, encourage, touch your heartstrings and bring you closer to the Lord.  Each day's reading only takes a few minutes but its words will leave you with thoughts that will last all day.  

This book arrived about a week after my only grandfather had passed away and the devotion for "Today is Your Best Day:  Because of Heaven" was a beautiful reminder that I hadn't said goodbye to my Papa...just "see you later".  The words on that day brought so much comfort to my soul when I was missing his physical presence and feeling sadness for my grandmother who is now alone. By far, my favorite devotional of them all was page 131-133, "Today is Your Best Day:  Because of What God Says".  I think I need to make all the reminders mentioned in this passage into some kind of wall art so I can read them daily and teach them to our children.  Just listen to a few of them:

He doesn't say: You will have to fend for yourself.  God says:  "I will supply all your needs."

He doesn't say:  There are things in your life that are too big for Me to handle.  God says:  "Trust Me"

He doesn't say:  I can't figure out what to do with you.  God says:  "I know the plans I have for you." 

Are these resounding in your heart they way they did in mine?  Don't you want to just shout "Thank you Jesus!, "Praise the Lord!"  Intermingled throughout the daily devotionals are scripture and inspiring thoughts as well. This inspiring little book needs to be in every home, something we read to our children (yes, they can sit still long enough to listen to each day's passages and it is written in language even they can understand), would make a wonderful gift to friends, teachers, those going through hard times, etc.  

Best of all, at this month's #TeachtheTruth Twitter Party with MasterBooks you can WIN your very own copy of Today is Your Best Day!  That's right, this wonderful book will be given away several times during our Twitter party and we want you to come join us for an evening of fun, friends and amazing devotion!  

Thursday, March 22

8pm CST

follow @MasterBooks4U and @MamaHall

use the hashtag #teachthetruth

and you could win a copy of this awesome devotional!

Disclaimer:  I was given a copy of this book for review purposes as a MOM of MasterBooks.  No monetary compensation was received.  

Lakeshore Educational Software

With homeschooling, we use curriculum but it is always nice to have fun, engaging ways for the kids to reinforce what they are learning through the textbooks as well. With the age of technology, all 3 of our children love learning on the computer as well. Lakeshore Educational software is available for PreK – 6th grade and you can buy it in store or purchase a download online. After reviewing their amazing line-up of educational software we chose 3 programs we thought would work well for our children and help reinforce things they are currently learning. We picked Can Do Interactive Phonemic Awareness Game, Science Quiz Game Show and the Language Adventures Quiz Game Show.........

To read my entire review of these great educational software programs visit EightyMPHMom!  

Magic Milk Straws

Getting children to drink milk can often be a challenge...especially if they don't like plain milk!  While grocery shopping this week, our local store Warehouse Discount Grocery had a display of Got Milk? Magic Milk Flavoring Straws.  My curiosity was peaked because out of our 3 kids one of them loves milk, one of them will seldom ask for a glass of milk and one of them claims to hate milk except to wet her cereal with.  So I picked up the 4 flavors they had available (Chocolate, Cookies & Cream, Wild Berry & Strawberry) and decided to see if they would motivate our children to drink more milk.

Magic Milk Flavoring Straws have no artificial colors, no preservatives, no artificial flavors, are gluten free and best of all, they require no refrigeration!  Check out the nutritional benefits of these little straws. The packs I bought were just $1.00 for a pack of 6 straws so they were very affordable and economical too.  The straw is bent on both ends to "lock-in" those flavoring beads.  Using the Magic Milk Flavoring Straws is very easy too.  You simply choose which flavor straw you want, remove it from the package, put it in your glass and start enjoying that milk.  There is no cutting, no tearing and no work to enjoy delicious flavored milk. In fact, it is so easy to use our 6 year old can do it by himself.  He gets a glass, pours it with milk, chooses a flavored straw, puts it in his milk and drinks his glass of milk.  One straw will flavor an entire glass of milk!  Of course, you can only use each straw once because once the glass of milk is gone so are your flavor beads.  

So how did our children like them??  Our 8 year old (the avid milk drinker) loves them because she loves any kind of milk.  Our 6 year old who would very seldom drink milk is now drinking milk with almost every meal and even asking for just a glass of milk to drink throughout the day.  Our 11 year old that never drinks a glass of milk has yet to try them.  She is "curiously" watching her siblings but has not yet taken the challenge. I keep telling her that if she would just try it she would love it but her strong-will is still winning that challenge.  I have to admit, I tried them and loved it too.  It is just the right amount of flavoring and not too over powering yet not weak either. We all know how hard it is to get just the right balance in chocolate milk when you use chocolate syrup but with Magic Milk Flavoring Straws it takes the guesswork out of it and delivers the perfect flavor combination every time.  

Magic Straws come in a wide variety of flavors so you can find any flavor combination to suit your child (or your) taste.  Sadly, our store only had 4 flavors to choose from....I guess that is the downside of living in a small country town.  Here are the flavor combinations you can find online with Magic Straws:

Chocolate

Cookies & Cream

Strawberry

Vanilla Milkshake

Chocolate Peanut Butter

Strawberry Banana

Orange Cream

Wild Berry

Banana

Chocolate Candy Cane

Orange Cream sounds amazing....makes me think of a Dreamsicle Popsicle!  Hopefully our store will begin carrying more flavors soon because these Magic Straws are a huge hit at our house and have the kids drinking plenty of milk each day which makes for one happy Momma!  Magic Straws are also available in Single Serve Straws (which would be a cute party favor item) or in packs of 6, 36 or 48.  You can locate a retailer that sells them near you by putting your zip code in the "Where To Buy" box at the top of each page or you can order them online here (I did notice the prices are slightly higher online). Not only are they delicious and nutritious but Magic Straws are also recyclable depending upon the plastic criteria in your local area.  Check out Magic Milk Straws and if you live locally, head to WDG and pick up your own packs for just $1.00 per pack.  Got Milk??

Spirit Rising (Book Review)

 

Christianity is impossible without the Holy Spirit.  So why do we talk so little about him?  In Spirit Rising, Pastor Jim Cymbala combines biblical insights with stunning stories of the Holy Spirit's work to help you experience God's power in a new way.  Nothing will change your prayer life, your church, or your study of God's Word more than opening your heart to the Spirit.  So if you want more excitement and joy, come discover a deeper understanding of how the Holy Spirit moves - and how you can join him. 

One of my top 5 favorite book is Jim Cymbala's "Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire" so I was really excited to get to read his latest release, Spirit Rising.  This book did not disappoint either and was captivating from the first chapter.  It is broken down into 3 parts:  God's Agent on Earth, When God's Spirit Moves and When We Surrender to the Holy Spirit. Intermingled throughout Cymbala's inspiring writings is real-life stories of testimonies and miracles worked in the lives of everyday human beings who were moved and changed by the Holy Spirit.  Here are a few of my favorite thoughts from Cymbala's writings in this book:

• The Spirit doesn't put Band-Aids on anything - he goes to the core of your problems to provide help.
• The Spirit is present in our life when we realize "I can't do that anymore" and cry out for victory over besetting sin.
• The Spirit was able to do great things through him because he had a patient, teachable spirit.
• To be conscious of the Holy Spirit solves 90% of our problems.

The Holy Spirit is a subject that is almost taboo for a lot of Christians.  The workings of the Holy Spirit are often misunderstood, discredited and watered down in today's society.  Cymbala does a beautiful job of walking us through the biblical teachings of the Holy Spirit giving us a clear and concise understanding of the Holy Spirit's role in our lives, our churches, our prayer life, etc.  He clearly explains what happens when the Holy Spirit moves in our lives and in the lives of our churches and teaches us how we can surrender to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit in our everyday lives.  As Cymbala puts it "The Holy Spirit is God's agent on earth" and this book teaches us the need to have the Holy Spirit alive and working in our lives and the lives of our churches.  No matter what denomination you may be, this book is one that everyone who proclaims to be a Christian should read.  It will encourage you, inspire you, and give you the desire to have more of God in our lives each day.  

Spirit Rising is available through Zondervan for $19.99.  You can read more about Jim Cymbala and his church, Brooklyn Tabernacle at www.brooklyntabernacle.org.  

Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book for review purposes only. No monetary compensation was received.  

Homeschool Mother's Journal

In our homeschool this week…
  We have been playing "catch-up" from missing a week of school when my grandfather passed away. Abbey is mastering her multiplication tables, Sidney is working hard on cursive handwriting and Wyatt is doing SO good in reading and getting more fluent everyday.  We also have taken a short Science "diversion" to study the book "My Body".  

I’m reading…

I love the way Jim Cymbala writes and "Spirit Rising" is a book that will have you captivated and even in tears by the end of the first chapter.  It is a beautiful reminder of the power of the Holy Spirit and how the Holy Spirit works and moves today.  I am almost done with it and hoping to start "The Five Love Languages of Children" next week. 

I’m cooking…
I have to admit, I am loving finding recipes on Pinterest!  It is a constant source of new and (often) delicious foods.  Last night, Abbey wanted fried chicken for her birthday and I am horrible at making fried chicken but I found a recipe on Pinterest that worked great.  It didn't have a crispy crust but she loved it anyway and told me I have to make it again next week for her.  Score!  


Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

 

Lord willing, we're headed to Spartanburg, SC next week for the Teach Them Diligently Convention!  David is excited to hear great speakers like Ken Ham, Voddie Baucham, Doug Phillips, etc. while I'm excited to go to the different homeschool classes being offered and hear great homeschooling speakers!  Then the next weekend (my birthday weekend) we are going to Atlanta, GA for the Apologia Live Retreat.  I'm super excited about the Atlanta trip because we are staying with my cousin & his family and his wife (who also homeschools) is going to the Apologia Live event with me!  It will be a wonderful weekend of family, homeschool encouragement and lots of fun.  WILL YOU BE THERE????  Let me know so we can meet-up!

My favorite thing this week was…

Ok, so it certainly wasn't my favorite...it was more bittersweet!  We are moving in July to go on the mission field as a full-time missionary family to become church planters to unreached people groups.  Part of that move means we can't take all our "stuff" with us...and that's what it is....STUFF!  So, I had listed my piano for sale. I've had it since I was 7 years old and it is 28 years old.  It's moved everywhere I moved and I still play it everyday but I can't take it with me so it has to go.  I honestly didn't think anyone would buy it but after 7 weeks of listing, it sold this week!  They paid me full-asking price and the money from the sale is going into our missions account.  The sweet couple who bought it will be using it for ministry in their church as well as for personal enjoyment so I was super thrilled they bought it.  They will be picking it up soon and I'm sure a few tears will be shed when that blank space on the wall is there instead of my beloved piano. 

Questions/thoughts I have…

It's that time of year again.....time to be planning/preparing for our summer curriculum and next school year!  This year it was not quite so stressful and I think I have it all figured out as to what we will need to purchase. I have to admit though, it took me almost 2 weeks to make my decisions, discuss them with David and then stick with them.  There's so many choices out there that if you keep searching you could change your mind a thousand times...LOL!  I still can't believe I will be homeschooling a middle school 6th grader next year!  Man, the time flies and my babies are growing up!!  

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

This is why we are moving in July to become a full-time missionary family!

Happy 11th Birthday Abbey

Our precious firstborn on her 1st day home 

from the hospital after being born

She is a precious gift from God who continually fills our lives

with laughter, fun and happiness.  We thank God for 

loaning her to us!

She has always been full of creativity, fun and determination

The beach is still one of her favorite places to go

She is very talented musically 

and can still play the drums pretty well.

She loves being outdoors and 

enjoys outdoor sports and adventures.

and today.....

She turns 11 years old.....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ABBEY!

Daddy and I love you so very much and we are so proud of the beautiful young lady you are becoming.  We hope you will continue to put God first in your life and keep your eyes focused on Him everyday.  We are so proud of your ways, your manners and you are such a blessing in our lives.  

We love you more than you know sweet girl!